The GATEhttp://www.thegate.ca
Entertainment MagazineTue, 03 Mar 2015 03:22:47 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=344A day at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards galahttp://www.thegate.ca/blog/022859/a-day-at-the-2015-canadian-screen-awards-gala/
http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022859/a-day-at-the-2015-canadian-screen-awards-gala/#commentsMon, 02 Mar 2015 02:47:53 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22859The Canadian Screen Awards kicked off on Monday, and it's now Sunday, and since then there have been lots of awards handed out, but the big day is really the Canadian Screen Awards gala which started with a red carpet late this afternoon.

]]>The Canadian Screen Awards kicked off on Monday, and it’s now Sunday, and since then there have been lots of awards handed out, but the big day is really the Canadian Screen Awards gala which started with a red carpet late this afternoon.

Admittedly, calling it a “day” at the Canadian Screen Awards might be pushing it, since it started at 2:30 PM, but after standing on the red carpet for three hours, and then sitting in the press room for the last three hours (and another hour or more to go), it feels like I’ve been here all day.

My day started with a wait on the red carpet, which was outside, but it was thankfully in a heated tent, and the wait was rewarded with a lot of stars who stopped to talk. In fact, I ended up with about 15 interviews during the red carpet.

One of the more interesting moments came with Oscar winner Julianne Moore, who chatted with a few of us on the carpet; I spoke to Kids In The Hall star Bruce McCulloch; Remedy‘s Dillon Casey and Enrico Colantoni; young Book of Negroes star Shailyn Pierre-Dixon; Kristen Lehman for Motive; Rookie Blue‘s Missy Peregrym and Gregory Smith; director Albert Shin for In Her Place; Seed‘s Carrie-Lynn Neales and Adam Korson; Kacey Rohl for both Working The Engels and Hannibal; Kate Hewlett for Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery; and a few others.

Where some red carpets can be a bit slow, and you can’t always guarantee who you’ll get to chat with, the Canadian Screen Awards were well-paced, and pretty great about getting most of the stars to all of the media on hand.

I’ve also been lucky enough to interview most of these stars before, so it was wonderful re-connecting with people, and finding out what they’re excited about at the awards, or in general.

I haven’t spoken to Peregrym or Smith in a while, but having interviewed them both a couple of times, I was really pleased talking about Rookie Blue once again, which is a huge fan favorite, and a set I enjoy visiting immensely because the cast is just so damn cool and talented.

Backstage, in the press room, there were not a lot of surprises, and at least one too-short visit with one of the winners, but it was generally a good night with the stars and filmmakers, including the fantastic Xavier Dolan for his multiple-award-winning film, Mommy.

The night finished with host Andrea Martin chatting about her work on stage, and all of the writers who helped write the jokes.

Now I’m working to write up all of my notes, and gather my videos together for the CSA 2015 YouTube playlist. So far I’ve got seven videos uploaded there, and the rest will follow over the next few days.

Stay tuned as well for my videos from the press room. Anna Silk did not come back, and Tatiana Maslany only made a brief appearance, but I captured a few great moments nonetheless.

Thanks as well to all of the publicists at the networks and with the event who helped set me up with interviews.

]]>The Canadian Screen Awards have been celebrating film and television, and handing out honours for our fair country, for a few days now, and Wednesday, February 25 was a big night for Jordan Gavaris, Callum Keith Rennie, Graeme Manson, and Rick Mercer.

Gavaris won for Orphan Black, for Best Actor in a Drama; Rennie was recognized for Best Guest Role in a Drama for Motive; Manson picked up Best Writing in a Drama for Orphan Black; and Mercer won numerous awards, including Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy.

Here are all four video interviews, where the four winners talk about the recognition, their careers, and where they’re headed next.

]]>http://www.thegate.ca/television/022856/canadian-screen-awards-winners-jordan-gavaris-callum-keith-rennie-graeme-manson-rick-mercer/feed/0Leonard Nimoy’s top 5 episodes from ‘Star Trek’http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022857/leonard-nimoys-top-5-episodes-from-star-trek/
http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022857/leonard-nimoys-top-5-episodes-from-star-trek/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 21:21:22 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22857Today's news that venerable Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy had passed away has hit a lot of science fiction fans pretty hard--myself included. The man was more than just Spock--by what I knew of him he was also a wonderful human being, and he was incredibly talented.

]]>Today’s news that venerable Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy had passed away has hit a lot of science fiction fans pretty hard–myself included. The man was more than just Spock–by what I knew of him he was also a wonderful human being, and he was incredibly talented.

He was a director, a writer, poet, photographer, and beyond the original Star Trek series and films, he had a major role in Fringe, reprised his role in the Star Trek reboot films, and he made two very memorable guest appearances on The Simpsons, and all of that barely scratches the surface.

As someone who grew up on Star Trek though, my first memory of Nimoy will always be as the actor who brought me into science fiction. I watched re-runs of Star Trek for years, until The Next Generation came along, so it’s inevitable that Nimoy’s passing brings me back to how I know him best.

While I hope people will look up more of Nimoy’s other work, I was happy to see that CraveTV passed on their 5 favorite “Spock-isodes” from the original Star Trek. Space channel’s Innerspace has also dedicated tonight’s episode to Leonard Nimoy.

Here are CraveTV’s suggestions so fans can relive Spock’s best moments in Star Trek. All of them are classic, and worth a watch–especially if you haven’t seen them in a while. “The Menagerie” is certainly one of my personal favorites. My other suggestion though? I think Space and CraveTV should make these episodes available for free for the next few days:

]]>http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022857/leonard-nimoys-top-5-episodes-from-star-trek/feed/0Celebrate Oscar’s leading actresses with Iceberg Vodka cocktailshttp://www.thegate.ca/style/022805/celebrate-oscars-leading-actresses-iceberg-vodka-cocktails/
http://www.thegate.ca/style/022805/celebrate-oscars-leading-actresses-iceberg-vodka-cocktails/#commentsFri, 20 Feb 2015 21:12:45 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22805Whether you're celebrating the Oscars this weekend with a party, or just curling up in front of the television, Iceberg Vodka has a few drink suggestions that will help you bring some class to the affair, all in the name of this year's Best Actress nominees.

]]>Whether you’re celebrating the Oscars this weekend with a party, or just curling up in front of the television, Iceberg Vodka has a few drink suggestions that will help you bring some class to the affair, all in the name of this year’s Best Actress nominees.

Pick your favorite recipe below, or make a game of it and get your guests to vote by picking their favorite cocktail. Either way, enjoy the show, and drink responsibly.

Reese Witherspoon: Southern Charm
Known for her down-home Tennessee style, Reese Witherspoon is as sweet as apple pie, which inspired this southern styled apple recipe, complete with a cinnamon stick.

Combine sugar and cinnamon powder in a separate dish. Dampen the edge of a chilled martini glass and rim with the sugar and cinnamon. Combine Iceberg Vodka, cider and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, and strain into the martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a cinnamon stick. Enjoy!

Marion Cotillard: The French Kiss
This cocktail is an ode to Marion’s French elegance with striking colours that mimic the iconic hue of her red lips.

Muddle four raspberries in a cocktail shaker, then add ice, Iceberg Vodka, Chambord, simple syrup and cranberry juice. Shake well and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with raspberries and lime wedge. Enjoy!

Julianne Moore: The Seasoned Veteran
A classic beauty with a twist, Julianne’s stunning red hair and American roots inspired this spicy variation of America’s signature cocktail, the Bloody Mary.

Salt the rim of a short glass and fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Iceberg Vodka, spicy tomato vegetable juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce, salt and pepper to your preference, and shake well. Strain into the glass and garnish with a celery stalk, asparagus stalk and wedge of lemon. Enjoy!

Rosamund Pike: English Rose
Paying homage to Rosamund’s British background, this vodka-twist on a classic gin and tonic is refreshing and sophisticated, just like Rosamund.

Cut 4 thin spears of the cucumber for garnish. Peel the remainder and quarter lengthwise. Scrape out seeds with a spoon and discard. Coarsely chop cucumber, then puree in a food processor until smooth and strain. Muddle fresh mint for 10 seconds, then add sugar and lime juice to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake well; add cucumber juice, Iceberg Vodka, and orange liqueur. Shake and strain into four glasses filled with ice, add soda water to fill glasses. Garnish with cucumber spears. Enjoy!

]]>Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited has arrived in Canada, offering up over 750,000 books for $9.99 on Kindle devices, plus Kindle apps for Apple and Android devices.

A 30-day free trail of the new subscription service is available now, and will give book lovers access to a range of big titles, including the Harry Potter series, Hunger Games trilogy, and numerous classics.

“Finding a great book is easy, and there are never any due dates–just look for the Kindle Unlimited logo on eligible titles and click ‘Read for Free,'” the company said in a statement.

Here are all of the features included in Kindle Unlimited:

Unlimited reading: Access over 750,000 books including best sellers like the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games trilogy, Interpreter of Maladies, The Giver, Wonder Boys, The Finisher, Flash Boys, Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street, plus thousands of classics such as Slaughterhouse-Five and The Good Earth, as well as books featuring much loved children’s characters such as those from Sesame Street and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and useful reference titles including books from the For Dummies series and What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

Kindle exclusives: Choose from hundreds of thousands of books only found on Kindle, including The Magpies by Mark Edwards, The Hangman’s Daughter series by Oliver Pötzsch, War Brides by Helen Bryan, A Day at the Office by Matt Dunn and Cry Baby by David Jackson.

Short Reads: For a quick escape, select from thousands of books that are 100 pages or less, including Kindle Singles from Stephen King, Andy Borowitz, and Nelson DeMille, and short fiction from Amazon Publishing’s StoryFront imprint.

Popular Kindle features: Enjoy all the great Kindle features customers love such as Whispersync, Word Wise, Vocabulary Builder, Popular Highlights, X-Ray, and customer reviews.
Read everywhere: Access across Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps for iPhone, iPad, Android tablets and phones, Windows Phone, PC, Mac and Windows 8—so you always have your library with you and never lose your place.

]]>http://www.thegate.ca/gaming-gadgets/022801/kindle-unlimited-arrives-canada/feed/0Benjamin Ayres on ‘Saving Hope’ season 3 finalehttp://www.thegate.ca/television/022799/benjamin-ayres-saving-hope-season-3-finale/
http://www.thegate.ca/television/022799/benjamin-ayres-saving-hope-season-3-finale/#commentsThu, 19 Feb 2015 04:07:35 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22799Benjamin Ayres co-stars in Saving Hope, a drama where his character is often arm-deep in blood, but the actor loves comedy, or as he admits, "it's just in my bones."

]]>Benjamin Ayres co-stars in Saving Hope, a drama where his character is often arm-deep in blood, but the actor loves comedy, or as he admits, “it’s just in my bones.”

Sitting down to chat about the third season finale earlier today in Toronto at CTV’s headquarters on Queen Street, Ayres spoke about his character, E.R. Dr. Zach Miller, the kind of medical lingo that he’s picked up, his hopes for the next season, and the very surprising ending coming tonight on the show. All the while, a laugh or a joke were never far away.

Looking forward to the next season, Ayres chatted about his hopes for the character, and getting more and bigger moments in the fourth season. “As an actor, you always want more,” he said. “It’s kind of never enough. And you always want it to go in places you’re not expecting it, and possibly darker places.”

The third season of CTV’s Saving Hope wraps up tonight, Wednesday, February 18, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT) on CTV and on the CTV GO app. Season four of Saving Hope starts filming in Toronto this summer, and the series has also been nominated for a Golden Screen Award, to honour the most-watched television series in Canada, at the 2015 Canadian Screen Awards.

]]>http://www.thegate.ca/television/022799/benjamin-ayres-saving-hope-season-3-finale/feed/0Previewing the latest cars at CIAS 2015http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022796/previewing-latest-cars-cias-2015/
http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022796/previewing-latest-cars-cias-2015/#commentsSat, 14 Feb 2015 04:59:33 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22796Thursday was the big media preview day and press conference gauntlet at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, and it was a long but interesting day on the show floor.

]]>Thursday was the big media preview day and press conference gauntlet at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, and it was a long but interesting day on the show floor.

The big challenge for CIAS is that it’s just a massive, massive show that takes over both the North and South buildings of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and the media day spent the time visiting every major company’s spaces to learn what they were showing off this year, and what the 2016 car models look like, and what they’re offering.

While breakfast started at 7:30 AM, the AJAC awards opened the morning off at a 8 AM, followed by 20 press conferences that included Ford, Toyota, BMW, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Chevrolet, and lots more.

With at least 2 or 3 cars in the spotlight at each company’s booth, we saw around 50 production, prototype, and concept cars, ranging from the fairly affordable to the luxurious and ludicrously expensive. It was a day made for a photographer, even if some of the spaces weren’t the best for lighting or layout.

There were beautiful, luxurious and exclusive cars; silly and ugly cars in weird shapes and gaudy colours; and of course, stale cars in bland tones that only middle-aged businessmen would find appealing. There was a little bit of everything, depending on what you like in a vehicle.

There were also lots and lots of concept cars that will never see the light of day, but through it all, the idea of innovation was at the forefront of what the car companies wanted to talk about. From hybrid and electric vehicles, to the first car available to consumers in Canada that runs on a hydrogen fuel cell, numerous advanced racing cars, and even new services–we saw a little bit of everything.

One of the biggest announcements for the day came from Ford Canada, who opened up the press conferences with their news that the Ford GT sports car will go into production right here in Ontario, and will be available for sale in late 2016. As sports cars go, the sleek concept car looks beautiful, but it will go through numerous changes before it’s finished and on showroom floors.

My other favorite from CIAS was one of the gems that didn’t get a lot of limelight on the media preview day, but the spectacular Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe (pictured above) was definitely a highlight. It’s elegant, beautiful, charming, and a classic reborn all at once. If I had the money I would buy it tomorrow.

Finally, in terms of concept cars, it’s hard to ignore the Infiniti Q80 Inspiration–a car that looks more like art than something you would drive, but it’s curvy in all the right places, and it’s boldly designed from front to back.

Now I just want to get behind the wheel with some of these cars. Seeing is one thing, but nothing beats actually sitting in the driver’s seat.

All of my highlights from the 2015 CIAS will be online soon, but until then, here are some of my highlights from Twitter and Tumblr, plus a video of Ford’s unveiling of the GT at the end.

Have your say in the comments below about your favorites, and which cars you wish you could test out for yourself.

]]>http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022796/previewing-latest-cars-cias-2015/feed/0Rachel Skarsten talks ’50 Shades of Grey’, ‘Lost Girl’ and Suetableshttp://www.thegate.ca/film/022792/rachel-skarsten-talks-50-shades-grey-lost-girl-suetables/
http://www.thegate.ca/film/022792/rachel-skarsten-talks-50-shades-grey-lost-girl-suetables/#commentsThu, 12 Feb 2015 02:06:25 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22792Rachel Skarsten is one of the kindest, smartest and most interesting people I've been lucky enough to interview. When I recently spoke to her over Skype from her home in Los Angeles, she was relaxed and very, very funny.

]]>Rachel Skarsten is one of the kindest, smartest and most interesting people I’ve been lucky enough to interview. When I recently spoke to her over Skype from her home in Los Angeles, she was relaxed and very, very funny.

Skarsten is also very easy to interview because her career, and her whole resume, are both very impressive.

Since she was first discovered, Skarsten has starred in numerous television series, films, and maybe most interesting of all, on top of her numerous acting credits, she holds not one but two university degrees in English Literature and Classical Studies from Queens University.

As her most recent starring role ends this year–with the final season of Lost Girl drawing to a close with her character, Tamsin, taking on a pivotal role in the story–this Friday, Skarsten will be making a big appearance around the world as 50 Shades of Grey debuts in theatres, and Skarsten plays the part of Andrea, lead-character Christian Grey’s personal assistant.

Before we got to chat about 50 Shades of Grey, Skarsten was immediately happy to talk about Lost Girl, and even how surprised she was by the final season and Tamsin’s integral part in it.

“That honestly came as a bit of a surprise to me because I really was only in half of the fourth season and I had talked to the writers going into the final season and they kind of asked me what I wanted for Tamsin, and we kind of talked about that, but they never really said to me ‘Oh, by the way, you’re going to be kind of taking on not only your own role, but in a way stepping into that space that Ksenia [Solo] filled in terms of Anna [Silk]’s buddy-pal,’ you know? Right out of the gate it was just like working every day, and all that. But it was really nice. I felt like they gave me everything that I said that I wanted, which I didn’t think was possible because they were two sort of conflicting things–two different directions–and I love that show. I loved being there. It’s like going to camp.”

The bigger news for Skarsten these days, however, is her role in 50 Shades of Grey, and the reality of that film–and its scale–is still sinking in for her.

“I think I still don’t really understand the magnitude of it,” Skarsten said. “Although since I’ve gotten to L.A., and there’s like posters shellacked over people’s windows… and it’s sort of like, before I got the film, I’ve been very aware of this cultural phenomenon of 50 Shades of Grey, but I never really associate myself with it. And so, even now, I’ll see these posters and I’ll be like, ‘50 Shades of… Oh, I’m in that!'”

Skarsten’s other news is a bit more personal, in a way. Following a connection that she made with Suetables.com founder and designer Sue Henderson, Skarsten worked with the company to create a custom signet ring in honour of her role in 50 Shades of Grey, but it really is all about celebrating her roots in Canada, and how she has grown from here.

The “50 Shades of Rachel” ring is available in sterling silver and white or yellow gold, and is marked by a bold tree with a small maple leaf on it. The leaf can be set with one of 12 birthstone “shades”, and represents “roots, growth, success and reaching for light”–which seems to sum up Skarsten very well.

Watch the interview to see Rachel Skarsten talk about Lost Girl, her role as Andrea in 50 Shades of Grey, and her signet ring, and what they all mean to her. You will even get a glimpse into her home, which she’s just getting settled back into after a busy few months.

The final eight episodes of Lost Girl season 5 will air this fall on Showcase in Canada and on SyFy in the United States. 50 Shades of Grey opens in theatres this Friday, February 13, and the “50 Shades of Rachel” signet ring is available now from Suetables.com for $249.00 in sterling silver, and $1395 in 10K white or yellow gold.

]]>http://www.thegate.ca/film/022792/rachel-skarsten-talks-50-shades-grey-lost-girl-suetables/feed/0Winter car rentals can get slipperyhttp://www.thegate.ca/blog/022789/winter-car-rentals-can-get-slippery/
http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022789/winter-car-rentals-can-get-slippery/#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 20:56:05 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22789Last week when I was travelling I discovered something about car rental tires, and it's worth thinking about if you're planning on driving a rental in Canada during the winter.

]]>Last week when I was travelling I discovered something about car rental tires, and it’s worth thinking about if you’re planning on driving a rental in Canada during the winter.

Generally, I only rent cars around Ontario when I’m doing driving trips, and during the winter I can say that I’m lucky that Toronto-area roads tend to be pretty clear most of the time. Even during big snow storms, the roads stay clearer than most places because of the number of cars on the road at all times, and the city’s solid snow plow and salting routine.

It can get pretty slippery elsewhere in this country though, especially when you’re driving a car that doesn’t have winter tires.

Just over a week ago I was in Saint John, New Brunswick, and as I pulled out of the airport driveway with my rental, I discovered that it was just a bit more slippery than I expected. The car was barely going 15 km/h, but as I eased on the brakes in the snowy conditions, the car slithered back and forth as I tried to bring it to a stop. The road was mostly just slushy, but that was enough to throw my car rental into a skidding stop, and over the next week with that rental–during one of the snowiest weeks I’ve seen in NB for a while–I had to drive like I was on skates.

As I found out at my first destination, the tires on my car rental were indeed “all weather” tires, as I suspected, and since I knew there was nothing I could do about it, I didn’t bring it up with the car rental company until I returned the car.

When I got back to the airport, the woman at the counter asked me how I found the rental, and I said it was good, aside from the tires, which I said were completely useless in the winter weather. Where I normally would expect some sort of apology, the rental agent simply said, matter-of-factly, that the rental company does not require the locations to outfit cars in winter tires, and that was that.

The thing is, I didn’t realize that it’s fairly common knowledge that car rental companies don’t offer snow tires. Some car companies offer winter tires for an extra price, but because of all the expenses involved in outfitting cars with winter tires on a seasonal basis, the big companies just don’t offer them.

That’s why I’m not even going to mention the car rental company because, while I’m still annoyed, it could have been any of them.

Maybe this doesn’t sound like a big deal to some people, but if you’re driving a rental car in Saint John–a city with more than its share of hills–during a winter storm, I can guarantee that you’ll be amazed how much trouble it means for your driving habits, especially if you need to go down any big hills. Based on all my hours of driving over the years, I think I have enough experience to keep me out of major trouble, but I still had to fight at times to keep the car from sliding into another vehicle on the worst days, especially when people stopped unexpectedly.

Sure, Saint John’s poorly-kept roads were part of the issue–the plows were infrequent at best–but any winter storm would likely have been an issue on these all-season tires.

As the Globe and Mail article I linked to above points out, the only province where winter tires are mandated is of course Quebec, where almost everything seems to be regulated, but it’s unlikely that kind of law is going to spread around Canada any time soon, and that’s kind of a shame, even if I dislike the concept of creating laws for everything.

I personally don’t have any stats on it, but I bet there are a lot of accidents across Canada every year because of people using all weather tires on their car during the worst of winter. While I hope that most of those accidents are minor, it’s really hard to say, and it seems avoidable if the car rental companies would just step forward and change this industry standard. I also guarantee that if you’re not sure what the difference is between all season and winter tires, you would know right away once you got behind the wheel. All season tires are simply useless in sub-zero temperatures because they get hard in the cold and that means they lose traction. The tread patterns on all weather tires are also just not as effective in slushy conditions.

So, what is the answer? My suggestion is that anyone who has an issue with the tires on their car rental should make sure the company knows about it. For that matter, I would recommend that if you’re especially concerned, try contacting the rental location ahead of time and ask for winter tires, as that is an option, but you may have to pay for it.

If it really does come down to cost, I would gladly pay an extra $2 during the winter season on every rental, or maybe even year round, to justify putting winter tires on every rental car. If a change of tires means you get where you’re going without accidents, I’ll pay up, but one way or another rental companies need to start thinking about this more seriously.

]]>http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022789/winter-car-rentals-can-get-slippery/feed/0This is what’s keeping me busy in Februaryhttp://www.thegate.ca/blog/022786/whats-keeping-busy-february/
http://www.thegate.ca/blog/022786/whats-keeping-busy-february/#commentsWed, 11 Feb 2015 04:00:42 +0000http://www.thegate.ca/?p=22786Compared to some of my media friends, I'm not really all that busy (Bryan, I'm looking at you), but there is a lot going on these days and I thought I should take the time to post a little update, especially considering it will give you an idea when you may want to check back here for stories and more updates.

]]>Compared to some of my media friends, I’m not really all that busy (Bryan, I’m looking at you), but there is a lot going on these days and I thought I should take the time to post a little update, especially considering it will give you an idea when you may want to check back here for stories and more updates.

January was slower than usual, and that’s to be expected, but it was still pretty busy. I interviewed the cast of CBC’s X Company, and I’ll be posting that video early next week; Laura Vandervoort chatted with me on the phone about the new season of Bitten, which I’m posting later this week; Mortlach whisky’s spokesperson Georgina Bell sat down with me to talk about their new release at the LCBO, and I’m posting that interview later this week; and Lost Girl star Rachel Skarsten chatted with me on Skype about the end of that series, her role in 50 Shades of Grey, and her “50 Shades of Rachel” ring with Suetables, and that interview will be online tomorrow. I also spoke to Tricia Helfer for Ascension on CBC back in 2014, so I’ll be posting that interview very soon too.

On top of those interviews, Hamilton had an amazing opportunity where they showed off some amazing watches that they debuted recently, including a new version of the Hamilton Ventura, which is based on Elvis Presley’s watch from Blue Hawaii–and they even had Elvis’ original watch there from the film.

I was also invited to Johnnie Walker’s Robbie Burns celebration at Casa Loma, which was a tasty event hosted by Georgina Bell, and it featured samplings of the full lineup of Johnnie Walker, which was a first for me. There was also haggis, Scottish dancers, and course after course of delicious food.

That’s what I’ve done for the last couple of weeks, and now I’m playing catch-up to get all of those stories posted. Time stands still for no one though, and next up, I’ve got a pretty great week ahead too.

This Thursday–all day–is the Canadian International Auto Show media preview day in Toronto, which is going to be a long but fantastic day checking out cars and hearing about what’s coming up for all of the big auto companies. That evening is also a special Vikings preview event for season 3, and tomorrow I’ll be giving away tickets on Twitter.

Then, next week, I’m attending Highland Park’s event to reveal their third release of their limited edition whisky, Freya, followed that afternoon with the pink carpet for The Duff with stars Robbie Amell and Italia Ricci. Kind of a funny day of events, but I can’t wait.

Inateck also sent me some gear to review, I have some movies to review, I’m trying out King’s Crown products, I have some travel articles I’ve been sent to post too, and I just spent some time reviewing Samsung’s Gear S watch, and the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. I’m also working on a big review of the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9.

So, there you have it. That’s my to-do list for the next week. I have about 30 emails still to deal with from this week–so far–so this list could get longer any minute now, but this is the big stuff. Not bad for a February, if you ask me, and when I get a chance I’m going to talk a bit more about another project I’m working on promoting at Patreon.